Dreaming detectives and more nails in steampunk’s coffin.

Dear friends,

Have you noticed any of these books over the last six months? Have their bright covers and intriguing synopses* tempted you as you walk past your local book purveyor? Have you lain awake pondering whether they are worth your precious time and attention? Have countless minutes elapsed while you shifted from foot to foot in the shoppe aisles, hefting one and then the other in hand, comparing their relative densities, paper quality and font choice**? Would you like to know which of these five are nominated for the Nebula award for best novel***?

Friends, I have read all of these books. I am here to assist you.

Read on for scathing criticisms and ranting delight.

*Do not, under pain of death, read the back cover synopsis of The Manual of Detection. It is both factually wrong and riddled with spoilers.

** Boneshaker is printed in brown ink. BROWN.

*** Hint: four out of these five are nominated, all in the same category. Apparently, the nomination committee lives behind my bookshelf.

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Wind-Up Hearts and Cities in Dream: New urban fantasy from under the radar

I haven’t written a book review in a bit, which is misleading, considering the ridiculous mountain of them through which I have recently torn. (They’re in a mound in the middle of the floor. It makes it challenging to walk around the apartment at night.) After the jump are some thoughts about two very up-and-coming fantasy authors and their more recent offerings.

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